Optimal Living Daily: Personal Development & Minimalism

530: Diversify Your Identity - Part 1 by Mark Manson

Released: May 24, 2017

Mark Manson was a full-time professional dating coach for men from 2008 until 2011. Sick of the industry, he wrote his first book, Models: Attract Women Through Honesty, and changed the name and focus of his business to address broader self-development topics for men. The book took off, selling tens of thousands of copies. As he branched out into deeper issues of masculinity, self-worth, and the changing cultural landscape, the site grew. By 2013, he had begun writing about larger cultural issues — gender relations, happiness, ambition, life purpose, and cultural perspectives he had gathered while living in various countries around the world. Despite the fact that the business was still directed at men, thousands of women began reading and asking for advice as well. That same year, he made the leap to his own site and domain, broadening the demographics of his audience. The site exploded, garnering millions of views each month.